The Meaning of Christ's Name

By Pastor Jed Raquintan

..…and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins.

The book of Proverbs in chapter 22 verse 1 says A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. Names are not only significant but also crucial. A name will be borne in a lifetime by the bearer.
Today it is easier to change names as laws provide such avenue on clearing the self from bad connotation of names. Hebrew customs carefully observe the giving of names. They are aware of its lifetime implications.

Nowadays, it seems that people are less serious about name giving. Popularity is one of the keys towards giving names. There was a period when names were all derived from names of dead saints. Once I learned that a father named his son from car auto parts. There seems to be an apparent disinterest in the moral and spiritual implications or connotations of chosen names.

Our Savior as He entered into this world was not spared from name giving. He must have some name. And that is my intent in this article. I desire to elaborate the issues relevant to the name of our Lord and Savior. Who gave Him such name? Where was it taken? What is the real meaning or connotation as well as the effects of the name given?

First, the name JESUS was a divinely designated name. You see this in verse 21a. The angel, sent by the Lord as messenger to deliver the message to Joseph, disclosed this name. Expressly, it was not human in origin. I mean, Joseph did not conceptualize it; neither did Mary nor any other human relative choose it. It was not also original with the angel because the latter was only a messenger from God. Angels speak whenever God gives them a message. They go to people as God assigned to them. So God thought of this name.

The name JESUS means God is salvation. So it is the Lord’s way of preparing the people whom Jesus would be with concerning the latter’s future task on earth. By considering the name given, a Jewish or Hebrew person will immediately recognize the heavenly origin of Jesus. It also implies the divinity of this person. Thus, to be named Jesus signifies the heavenliness and highness of our person. Hence, there is a corollary expectation to live with the meaning of the name.

Consequently, you may choose to name your son or another newborn boy with that name. But let us seriously remember the divinity attached to it. We are scripturally reminded to respect the name of God. We are not to use it in vain. Even though this text does not indicate the deity of Jesus, yet it does require us to pay the highest respect to such divinely designated name.

Second, the name JESUS was a disclosure of His earthly task. You see this in verse 21b. Every Hebrew person prior to Jesus’ birth expects the day their nation would be delivered from their political oppressors. For centuries they were severely controlled by foreign aggressors. Though it had divine permission to chastise them, they failed to fully understand this aspect. With this skewed expectation, they were hopeful of the coming of a political messiah – a savior who would free them from foreign colonization. However, the Savior’s first coming was neither political nor socio-economic in nature, but spiritual, focused on the most significant – the salvation of the souls. God, being wiser than man, conceived and prioritized the greatest need of humanity. Man needs to be saved from his sin and its penalty.

JESUS means God is salvation. Understanding it sincerely and consistently with the context, its only meaning is to deliver Israel from their pressing need- the salvation of soul from sin’s penalty in hell. Thus, Jesus’ earthly tasks were related to this overall mission goal. Everything He did on earth was relevant to that main goal. Luke said in 19:10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. He did all to lead needy sinners to salvation. He healed to show people His divine power. He made miracles to display His divine authority. He came to call people to repent from sins and to believe in Him as the spiritual king of their soul.

So Jesus refused to be sidetracked from many entanglements He faced on earth. He rejected the offer of some sectors to lead a nationalist movement to free the nation from political oppression of the colonizers. He also shunned away from excessive miracle-making that would only satisfy human longing for life betterment and excitement without the real desire to follow God. Therefore the name Jesus bore the very task He would carry on.

Applying this concept, when we give a name it implies the quality of life and work the person will have. This is truly a hard task for the name giver. As humans we can not fully know the future and the future character and work of those whom we named. Thus, prayerfulness and consistency in teaching those whom we named are expected of us. The character of names given must be carried on by the person. It is indeed disastrous to see one living and working contrary to his/her name. If there is only one godly quality of life and work we could work on for life then that would be to live according to our name.

Let us not neglect also that the name Jesus was meant to bring salvation to its hearers or receivers. Never miss the salvation Jesus offers us as it entails heaven and hell for eternity. Have you received the salvation this Jesus gives? See Romans 6:23.

Third, the name JESUS was a display of God‘s presence. Look what verse 23b says …. Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. This is the other name given Him. It was an Old Testament prophesy in the book of Isaiah. This name signifies what God would do through Jesus. As God is a spirit He still planned, however, to let Himself be seen of men. To do this, God the Son was incarnated to accomplish the task mentioned. So, this name is corollary to the name JESUS. If the latter refers to His earthly task then “Immanuel” refers to His being with sinning people in order to accomplish the goal of saving needy sinners.

As God He could just have willed and spoken for man to be saved. But He chose to be with them so He could communicate the message of salvation to them. Hence, the concept of God was not something abstract or beyond human appreciation. It was rather a public demonstration of what He intended to do for the needy sinners. It was an act of bringing salvation not from a distance but by being with them. It was an act subject to our senses for greater appreciation.

What is the relevance of this truth in our lives? One, the highest God made His presence felt upon needy sinners to do something concrete for them. I think we too ought to be with the people we want to reach for Jesus. We want to be with them not to be appreciated or be imposing upon them. Our presence reduces the hardship of others. Two, the soundness of our aims remains ineffective, if not a sure failure, if they are not translated into the level of the people we desire to reach.

Finally, the name JESUS was demonstrative of man’s obedience. Consider verse 25b which says …and he called his name JESUS. Joseph who already had a hard time accepting the truth of the virgin birth of Jesus was further tasked to name the child Jesus. This name was not unusual in Hebrew history. Yet, it appears that Joseph lost his freedom to choose names for the child. Nonetheless, Joseph accepted the divinely designated name. This is a mark of his character – a life of obedience. He kept God’s chosen name even though he could have hidden it to himself.

This has a similarity with the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias and Elizabeth. Consider Luke 1:57-64. Zacharias’ unbelief on God’s message, including the naming of the child led to his becoming mute. And his obedience to name his son with God’s chosen name in spite of cultural violation as far as naming is concerned led to deliverance from physical defect.

Joseph could have disobeyed God even secretly. But he chose to keep God’s assignment. He overcame the fear of man in naming the child not from his own liking. He humbly submitted to God’s designation. Let us seriously regard keeping the commands of God in the Bible. Let us not fear the wrath of family and friends in our obedience to God’s call to the ministry. Our genuineness as believers assure the Spirit leading in us. Our sincerity to obey the Savior leads us to gradually abandon necessary earthly entanglements towards serving the Savior. Consider what God can do to you, to your family, to your occupation, and to your possessions or being as a result of fearing the consequences of not serving Him in the full time capacity!

Joseph prioritized God’s designation regardless of man’s wrath. He remained on divine assignment even if it meant humiliation in public. Peter reminds us all in his plea to the Savior in Mark 10:28-30!

Friends, have you received the salvation this name JESUS offers? Why not come to Him in repentance from sins and believe in JESUS alone to save you from hell? He can save you now, John 3:15-18, 36!

Therefore, let us always remember the highness and divinity in the name JESUS. This name recalls the salvation we received. It also enjoins us to be with the people we want to get saved regardless of the current differences. And let us be courageous to keep the divine designation both in belief and practice until we see Him who bears the name JESUS. Amen!